Lot or bundle assorter for ironing machines



May 21, 1935.. F. J: COUCH LOT OR BUNDLE ASSORTER FOR IRONING MACHINES a Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 3, 1930 5mm .1 (awfi -m&#, e, why 9! ATTORNEY,

F. J. COUCH LOT OR BUNDLE ASSORTER FOR IRQNING MACHINES May 21, 1935.

Original Filed Nov. 3, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY,

May 21, 1935. F. .1. COUCH 2,002,133

LOT OR BUNDLE ASSORTER FOR IRONING MACHINES Original Filed Nov. 3, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOH ATTORNEY! Patented May2l, 1935 LOT on BUNDLE nssoR'rER FOR l MACHINES IRONING;

Forrest J.'0ouch, Rochester, N. 'Y., assignor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a'corporation of Ohio 1 Original application November 3, 1930, Serial No.

493,050. Divided and this 1933, Serial No. 664,581

application April 5,

My invention relates to a lot or bundle assert-,- er for ironing machines and, particularly, to a lot or bundle assorter for ironing machines or the like where .the goods are ironed automatically *5 and continuously delivered to a certain point. 1

{This application is a division of application Serial No. 493,050, filed November 3, 1930, and whichresulted in Patent No. 1,928,348, granted September 26, 1933. 4

The invention is especially'applicable to ironing machines and is particularly advantageous where the family bundle service ironing is employed and wherein it is desirable to keep' each family bundle of goods separated from others, to have each family bundle of goods placed in a different receptacle or compartment, and to eliminate the labor necessary toremove filled receptacles from the point of, delivery and substitute empty receptacles therefor manually. My invention contemplates the provision of a conveying mechanism embodying an endless chain carry; ing a series of compartments and having operating mechanism so controlled and synchronized that each separate compartment carried by. the chain will automatically be moved to a point of delivery and will remain stationary at the point of delivery a sufiicient length of time to collect one familys bundle or lot of goods. 7

The objects of my invention are to provide'a means for keeping each customers lot of goods separated from others; to provide an endless row of compartments so arranged that each cus-- tomers lot of goods may be delivered in a single compartment; and to provide an operating mechanism such that each compartment may be stopped at the delivery point a sufiicient length of time to receive all of one customers goods and may then be moved onwardly and anothercompartment brought into registry with the delivery point, the operating apparatus. being such that the compartments may bestopped or moved, as

required.

Various other objects and advantageous features of my invention may be seen .in the following description. and one embodiment thereof may be seen in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts, and wherein: a a

1 is a ,side elevation of a delivery conveyor constructed in accordance with my invention; Eig. 2=is a plan view of the deliveryconveyor" shown in Fig '1; Fig. 3 is a side'eleva- ,tion of the'operating means forthe delivery conv'eyor shown in .Fig 1 but without the. parts thereof in operative connection; and Fig. 4 is a perspectivefview of the relatively thick pad used for mechanism tripping purposes.

Referring to the drawings, an ironing roll I is shown ,incooperative relation with an ironing chest 2, the roll'and chest being of the usual type found'in a fiatwork' machine. Also, as is" usual in ironing machinestla tape 3 passes around the ironing roll and between the roll and chest'.j

Infaccordance .with myiinvention, a bracket 4- isrigidly secured to eachside of the rearwardmost end of, the chest 2' and each bracket is provided with 'anupwardlyextending ,ear'5 to which an arm 6 is pivoted as at I. This'arm carries the usual stripperroller 8 intermediate its ends and closer to its outermost end, the stripper roller being mounted on a shaft 9 journalled in the arms, and aroller l'fljintermediate the stripper roller 8 and the pivot point 1. One end of the, roller rests' on' or near the rear end of the chest 2 by gravity and the other end is held downwardly by means of a sprocket chain I traveling around a sprocket 42 on the shaft E3 which carries the roller I and driven sprocket H which causes rotationof the roller it). With this construction, the ironed goods passes under the roller I0 and then falls away from the rearwardmost end of the chest 2 or, if necessary, is stripped from the tape 3 by the stripper rol- 1B1 8. j V

A conveyor mechanism and operating means therefor, is mounted on' a frame l5 and disposed adjacent the delivery end of the chest 2 and comprises, an endless conveyor chain IS that may be of chain or otherwise that travels about a driven sprocket VI'I, over an idler sprocket I8 and around an idler sprocket l9, returning back to and around the driven sprocket I1. One end of the endless conveyor (6 is disposed directly below the roller l0 whereby all goods delivered from the ironing machine will fall directly on the conveyor and the position of the conveyor between the idler sprockets I 8 and I 9 is substantially horizontal while the remainder of the conveyor is disposed at an angle to the horizontal. The horizontal position of the conveyor is supported at a convenient height by means of suitable guides which may be of angle iron and the conveyor may extend-horizontally away from the ironing machine as far as is desired. t

'In itself, the conveyor of which the chain 16 forms a part consists of a plurality of compartments separated by vertical partitions 2|. Also, in viewing the horizontal position of the conveyor, .the bottom of each compartment formed bythe vertical partitions 2| consists of several substantially rectangularly shaped plates 22 each having one edge pivotally connected to the endless chain It. Each vertical partition 2! is preferably made integral with the plate 22 which is adjacent thereto and there is a substantiallygreater number of plates 22 than partitions 21 whereby a number of compartments may be formed throughout the length of the conveyor. However, it will be understood that the number of com partments or the size thereof may be varied by diiferent spacings of the plates 22 carrying the partitions 2!. I

The apparatus is so constructed and the travel of the conveyor is in such direction about the driven and idler sprockets that the plates 22 will lie in a position of overlapping relation in the same general longitudinalline as the conveyor chain along that portion of the chain that is above the driven and idler sprockets. "It-iollcws v plates slide during the return lap of the conveyor and such tracks diverge outwardly from the conveyor chain 16 as it approaches a position below the shaft 24 on which the driven sprocket i! is mounted whereby the free edges ofthe plates 22 and the partitions 2| are entirely free from the tracks so that they may follow the chain #6 around the sprocket [1 without binding. At the remote idlers IS, the tracks 20 are curved as at so that the extremities of the track extend above the idlers'lB to prevent any noise being caused by the falling of the free edge of each plate 22 or partition Zl' as the center of gravity passes the vertical plane of the center of the idlers l9. In Fig. 2, it will be noted that the partitions 2! are cut back as at 2 l to be shorter than the plates 22 whereby they will move freely betweenthe tracks 23 while the ends of the plates 22 from which the partitions extend ride on the tracks.

With this arrangement, when a plate 22 with its partition 2| reaches the point where it is just beginning .to move around the sprocket 'fg," the ends of the plates engage the lower side of the curved portions 25 of the tracks while the partitions 2! pass between the tracks. The curvature 25 of the tracks is so developed that the tracks do not bind the plates 22 at any point inftheir movement around the sprocket 19 but allow the plates to follow naturally around with the exception that their outer edge is held back. As shown, the tracks .23 below the conveyor are so arranged as to permit the plates 22 to gradually swing toward normal depending position along the under lap of the conveyor as they approach the drive sprocket I! and to entirely release the plates just prior to or as they begin'to move around such drive sprocket toward the upper lap of the conveyor. Of course, the plates 22 having no partition members 2i thereon follow a similar path. c 1 g j The size of the sprocket wheels lT mounted on the shaft 24 about which the endless chains l6 pass is such that one revolution of the sprockets will cause the conveyor mechanism of which the the distance from one partition to another. It follows, therefore, that the size of the sprockets I! must be changed when the size of the compartments is changed by varying the distance between the partitions 2| in order to obtain the proper synchronism of -movement of the compartments. The partitions 2| are all equally "spaced apart and the size of the sprocket IT is such that a compartment formed between two partitions will always be positioned directly belowthe rear edge of the chest 2 each time the conveyor comes to a stop.

Inv order to control the operation of the conveyor, a trip 26 is provided that takes the form of a bell crank lever having a long and a short arm, the trip being pivotally mounted as at 2'! .on a disk 28 which is rigidly mounted on the shaft 25. Loosely mounted on the shaft 24 a short. distance from the disk 28 is another disk 29 which is provided with four pins or lugs 30 projecting from its face towards the disk 28 and into the same vertical plane as the short arm of the trip 25 occupies. The trip 26 is limited in its movement about the pivot 21 in one direction by a stop pin 3% and in the other direction by a stop pin 32. A spring 33 normally tends to hold the trip 26 in a position withthe' long arm thereof against the stop 32 and with the short arm of the trip in a raised position whereby it will be in the arcuate path of travel of the pins 30. e

The disk 29 is constantly rotatedror driven clockwise as will be hereinafter described and, being loosely mounted on the shaft 24-, with the trip 26 on the disk 28 which is rigidly mounted on the shaft 24 in such position that the short arm thereof will not contact with any of the pins, the shaft 24 and sprockets l-l will not be rotated and the conveyor will remain stationary.

To provide a means for moving the trip 25 to such position that the short arm thereof will be raised into the path of travel of the pins 3! an arm 34 is pivotally mounted on the frame of the conveyor as at 35 and has its free end arranged to be. in either of two positions, namely, in the path of the long arm of the trip 23 as shown in Fig. 1 wherein the short arm of the trip will be moved, out of the path of travel of the pins 30 and the trip held against the stop 3|, or out of the path of the long arm of the trip 25, see Fig. 3, and in such position that the trip will be moved against the stop 32 by spring 33, which movement will causethe short arm of the trip to be moved upward into the path of travel of the pins 3! As is clearly shown in the drawings, the free end of the arm 34 is made to swing in a vertical plane out of and into the path of the trip 26 which moves with the disk 28. The free end of the arm 34 is connected by a link 36 to the free extending end of one of the arms 6 mounted on the bracket 4 as hereinbefore described whereby when such arm 6 is raised the arm 34 will be raised and the free end lifted out of the path of the long arm of the trip 26 to permit the trip to be swung to the position hereinbefore described by means of the spring 33 and thereby bring the short arm of the trip into the circular path of the pins 30.

The disk 29 is constantly rotated in a clockwise direction which will move the upper lap of the conveyor to the right as shown in Fig. l and the lower end thereof to the left so that the partitions 2| will be brought to vertical position immediately under the delivery end of the ironing machine and the lates 22 will gravitate into the overlapping position shown in Fig. 1 on the. upper lap of the conveyor.

Such disk 29 is constantly rotated by means of a gear wheel 31 integral with the disk and meshing with a gear 38 integral with a sprocket 39 which is connected by means of a chain 40 to a constantly rotating sprocket 4| of the ironing machine and provided with a'chain tightener consisting of an arm 42, roller 43, and spring 44. It will be understood that, if desired, a separate motor may be employed for constantly rotatingthe disk 29.

As a safety device, or to provide a means for starting travel of the conveyor at any time, a lifting button 45 is provided at a convenient location which is connected to the arm 34 by means of a link 46, the connection to the arm 34 being on such side of the pivot that raising of the button 45 will move the free end of the arm 34 upwardly and disengage the free end thereof from the long arm of the trip 26 whereby the short arm of the trip will move into the path of travel of the pins 30.

In the operation of'thisdevice, the ironed goods'fall from the delivery end of the steam chest into the compartment of the conveyor which is at rest directly below such delivery point and when the last piece of a customer's goods has been fed into the feed end of the ironing through the ironer and under the roll [0 whereby such roller will be lifted slightly to cause the extended free end of the lever 9 to which the link 36 is connected to be moved upwardly about the pivot I a sufiicient distance to release the trip by moving the arm 34 upwardly and out of engagement therewith whereby the short arm of the trip will move into the path of travel of the pins as hereinbefore described. This will cause one complete revolution of the sprockets l1 around which the conveyor passes and movement of the filled compartment out of registry with the delivery point and the next adjacent empty compartment into registry therewith. Goods may be removed from the compartments when they reach the horizontal position shown in Fig. 1. The thick pad is of such width that it will pass entirely out from under the ironing machine roll l0 whereby the arm 34 may again drop downwardly into a position to engage the long arm of the trip 26 prior to the disk 28 making one complete revolution whereby the long end of the trip will engage the free end of the arm 34 and the short arm of the trip moved out of the path of the pins 30 as hereinbefore. described. To guard against any pieces of goods falling to either side of the conveyor when they fall by gravity from the delivery end of the chest 2, substantially vertical side pieces 41 are secured to the conveyor frame on each side of the conveyor.

Referring to the drawings and the preceding description, it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus of the above type embodying numerous novel and advantageous features. For

instance, I have provided a delivery conveyor wherein bundles of clothes that are maintained in separated relation from other bundles during previous laundry operations may be ironed and collected in separate compartments and thus be maintained in their respective bundles whereby the necessity of again separating the clothes after the ironing operation is done away with. Another feature resides in the fact that the conveyor is so constructed as to present successive empty compartments at the delivery point of the ironing machine and removing filled compartments automatically and without the use of manual labor. Various other features will be readily apparent.

What I claim is:

1. A conveyor, comprising an endless belt having pivoted plate members thereon arranged to form a conveyor bottom for the upper lap of the belt but not for the return lap thereof, some of said pivoted plate members being angular in and other of said plate members being solely bottom-forming members.

2. A conveyor, comprising a conveying element having a plurality of compartments thereon, said compartments including pivoted plates adapted to lie in overlapping relation on the upper lap of said conveying element to form a bottom and to depend from their pivots, on the return lap thereof, some of said plates being angular to provide compartment partition members when on the upper lap of the conveyor element, and other of said plates being flat bottom-forming members.

3. A conveyor comprising an endless belt having a plurality of compartments thereon, said compartments including pivoted plates adapted to lie in overlapping relation on the upper lap of said belt to form a bottom and to depend from their pivots on the return lap thereof, certain of said plates being flat toform bottom members for the compartments and other of said.

plates being angular to provide partition members for said compartments, and said plates being assembled along said belt with a plurality of said flat plates between consecutive angular plates.

4. A conveyor, comprising an endless belt including a plurality of pivoted plate members arranged to lie parallel with the upper lap of the belt to form a work receiving surface and tending to assume a position perpendicular to the return lap of the belt along such return lap, rollers about which said belt travels, some of said plate members being angular to provide compartment forming partitions, others of said plate members being solely bottom-forming members, and spaced track members arranged to engage the ends of said plate members at a point along the conveyor adjacent the beginning of plate movement from parallel position and guide said plate position along the conveyor return lap, said angular portions of said plate members being cut away at their ends so as to pass between said track members.

FORREST J. COUCH. 

